Want an example to illustrate this point?

Remember your teacher, tutor or lecturer having to mark 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 or more books or papers.

Who got the top marks in that English essay?

The ones who were the most creative. The ones who avoided the cliche narratives and came up with something a little bit different, dare I say, original.

Who got the best comments for their dissertation, speech or “discussion” article?

The ones who did the extra research, used their additional knowledge and put together some fresh thinking on the topic (rather than just regurgitating what they’d heard in class or seen in another book).

Best marks in geography?

Those able to add their own knowledge and reading into their coursework and exam answers: provide real world examples of physical features, talk about modern day examples of theoretical models in action, refer to history and current affairs to back an argument.

Why were these students given the best marks?

Because they rose above the norm. They provided a little of the unexpected (enough to stand out from all the “average”, dull, repetitive efforts of the majority).

If you want top marks for your marketing efforts, you need to be thinking and doing the same.